BACKGROUND: HCV(+) donors represent an effective strategy to increase liver donor availability to HCV-infected recipients. However, many HCV(+) transplant candidates are now receiving treatment with direct acting anti-virals (DAA) that lower the risk of posttransplant HCV recurrence but could make the patient ineligible for HCV(+) livers. METHODS: We compared pretransplant DAA treatment versus deferred DAA treatment using a cost-effectiveness decision analysis model to estimate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs; cost per quality-adjusted life year [QALY] gained) from the societal perspective across a range of HCV(+) liver availability rates...

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with genotype 3 remains a challenge. The HCV elimination rate with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) is lower than the values reported for other HCV genotypes. In addition, genotype 3 infected patients have a higher risk of disease progression and hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to review the relevant literature concerning treatment of HCV genotype 3 patients with interferon-free regimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Web of Science electronic databases...

Today, we are witnessing a new era for the treatment of hepatitis C with excellent rates of virologic response and very good safety profiles. Among the many classes of direct acting antivirals, the inhibitors of non-structural protein 5A are particularly interesting. NS5A is phosphorylated protein with a relevant role in viral replication. HCV-NS5A inhibitors show high potency, very good safety profile and high barrier to resistance. The amazing in vitro effectiveness of this class is associated with great efficacy in clinical trials in combination protocols with antivirals of other classes, with sustained virological response (SVR) obtained in more than 90% of patients...

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is easily spread among those who share drug injection equipment. Due to the ease of contraction and growing prevalence of HCV in Eastern Europe, the aims of this study focused on describing risky injection practices as well as the prevalence of HCV, HIV, and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) among people who inject drugs (PWID) that were admitted to public and private drug treatment centers in Turkey from 2012 to 2013. Other aims included identifying correlates of needle sharing and HCV infection...

Only 20 years after the discovery of small non-coding, single-stranded ribonucleic acids, so-called microRNAs (miRNAs), as post-transcriptional gene regulators, the first miRNA-targeting drug Miravirsen for the treatment of hepatitis C has been successfully tested in clinical Phase II trials. Addressing miRNAs as drug targets may enable the cure, or at least the treatment of diseases, which presently seems impossible. However, due to miRNAs' chemical structure, generation of potential drug molecules with necessary pharmacokinetic properties is still challenging and requires a re-thinking of the drug discovery process...

BACKGROUND: The response to treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not well-characterized in the real-world setting. OBJECTIVE: To describe patients' response to 3 sofosbuvir-based treatment regimens among commercially insured patients with chronic HCV. METHODS: In this observational study, we identified patients with HCV who started sofosbuvir treatment with 1 of 3 sofosbuvir-based regimens between December 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014, in the HealthCore Integrated Research Database, a large managed care repository...

: Infection with nidoviruses like corona- and arteriviruses induces a reticulovesicular network of interconnected endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) and other membrane structures. This network is thought to accommodate the viral replication machinery and protect it from innate immune detection. We hypothesized that the innate immune response has tools to counteract the formation of these virus-induced replication organelles in order to inhibit virus replication...

Recombination in RNA virus is a rare event in the survival and evolution to evade host immune system. This is increasing within high risk group population (HRG) due to super infection that occurs by continuous sharing of common drug equipment by HCV infected or HIV-HCV co-infected recurrent drug users. Recombination causes impediment to vaccine development and therapeutic intervention as standard HCV treatment is still genotype specific. Blood samples of 194 people who inject drugs (PWID) were collected from an Opioid Substitution Therapy Centre in Kolkata,India...

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have always been one of the major threats to public health. Although the implementation of mandatory testing for 4 classical transfusion-transmitted infectious-human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis-has reduced the transfusion risk of these pathogens, the potential threat of various EID agents and their constantly evolving variants to blood safety in China is not fully understood. This review presents 9 representative EID agents that are autochthonous and epidemic nationally or regionally in China...

One third of all hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases in the United States are incarcerated in jails and prisons. Hepatitis C virus testing is primarily accomplished through a clinical laboratory, yet point-of-care (POC) testing is less invasive and results are available in 20 minutes compared with up to 3 weeks. The purpose of this article was to describe the findings of a collaborative project between the Colleges of Engineering and Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in executing a human factors study for HCV antibody testing and screening...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus with an estimated infection in ∼180 million people worldwide, and its chronic infection leads to development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although recent development of direct acting antiviral (DAA) compounds improved anti-HCV regimens, alternative therapeutic compounds are still demanded due to an expected emergence of escape mutants for those DAAs. In order to identify novel anti-HCV agents, we conducted chemical library screening for 2,086 compounds using HCV Rep-Feo reporter replicon in Huh7 hepatoma cells...

Purpose Criminalization of drug use in Malaysia has concentrated people who inject drugs (PWID) and people living with HIV into prisons where health services are minimal and HIV-related mortality is high. Few studies have comprehensively assessed the complex health needs of this population. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach From October 2012 through March 2013, 221 sequentially selected HIV-infected male prisoners underwent a comprehensive health assessment that included a structured history, physical examination, and clinically indicated diagnostic studies...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is frequently associated with various extrahepatic manifestations such as autoimmune features and immune complex deposit diseases. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is one of the representative extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are highly effective and safe for the eradication of HCV. However, there is a lack of information regarding the association between HCV-associated OLP and interferon (IFN)-free DAA therapy. Herein, we present the case of a 60-year-old female who was diagnosed with OLP during routine periodontal treatment by a dentist...

AIM: To investigate peg-interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) therapy in Myanmar and to predict sustained virologic response (SVR). METHODS: This single-center, open-label, study was conducted in Myanmar between 2009 and 2014. A total of 288 patients infected with HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3 and 6 were treated with peg-IFN alpha-2a (180 μg/wk) or alpha-2b (50 to 100 μg as a weight-based dose) and RBV as a weight-based dose (15 mg/kg/d). Treatment duration was 48 wk for genotypes 1 and 6, 24 wk for genotype 2, and 24 or 48 wk for genotype 3 based on rapid virologic response (RVR)...